Index



(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 1; J. P. FINDLEY.

INDEX. No. 400,070. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. P. PI'NDLEY.

INDEX.

Patented Mar. .26, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIQE.

JOHN PAUL FINDLEY, OF BLANOHARD, PENNSYLVANIA.

INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,070, dated March 26, 1889.

Serial No. 279,782. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PAUL FINDLEY, of Blanchard, in the county of Center and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in the indexing of books; and it consists in the novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be described and claimed, whereby the book may be conveniently and accurately opened to a central or intermediate point, practically dividing the book into two portions or side sections, and by which the book when so opened will have portions of the leaves of each such sections exposed corresponding to each desired division and subdivision of the subject-matter of the book, so the user can conveniently turn to any portion of the book without the necessity of leafing or turning the leaves of the book, as is common in the use of the ordinary indexes.

The invention is adapted for use in connection with Bibles, hymnals, dictionaries, cyclopedias, &c.; but as the nature and character of the invention will be fully understood from an illustration of it as applied to the New Testament, I shall illustrate it in such connection.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of a New Testament opened centrally and indexed on one side according to my invention, the opposite side being also partially indexed according to the invention. Fig. 2 is an edge viewof the book. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the application of the invention to a part of the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and Fig. 4 shows in detail the nicks for facilitating the accurate opening of the book to the intermediate starting-point, all of which will be described.

The index of the book A, which in the construction shown is a New Testament, is formed in practically two side sections, and has what may be termed an intermediate starting-point, a, occurring, in the present instance, at the beginning of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. The index then extends in two sections, B B, along-the opposite sides of the book, beginning at the top of the opposite margins and extendingdownward, cutting away the margin of the book to a depth site sides of the intermediate starting-point,

so when the book is opened, as shown in Fig. 1, the entire index is exposed to view at the opposite sides of the book. To expedite the convenient opening of the book to the intermediate point, I provide a nick or nicks, D, cut in the edges of the book and terminating at one of the leaves, which mark the interme-.

diate starting-point. The index proper is best shown in Fig. 3. The index is formed in practically a number of series, I), each series comprising a heading, Z), and subdivisions b the heading in the construction shown being the name of the book in Fig. 3, The Acts, and the subdivisions the numbers of the different chapters in said book. The heading, it

will be seen, is on next to the last sheet of the book Acts, which sheet or page 344 is stepped at Z2 providing an exposed portion to receive the mark indicating the subdivision or chapter 28. As the sheet or page 342 next in advance'of the page 344 is included in the chapter 27, which is indicated in the next preceding page thereto, such. page 342 is cut similarly to sheet 344, showing no exposed portion,while the next preceding page is properly cut in stepped form.

The stepping of the leaves is effected by cutting in at 1 from the edges of the leaves to the desired point, thence down at 2, thence in again at 3, and thence down at 4 to the lower end of the leaves, the exposure of each leaf, as desired, being effected by properly varying the lengths of cuts 1 and 3 in the different leaves, as will be understood from Fig.

- It may be desirable to strengthen the exposed portions of the leaves by pasting some material-such as leather-thereon and inscribing the letter or other indicating-character on the said material.

In small books, whose margins are too narrow to be cut, as shown, to form the index, the letter may be made on separate strips and secured to the leaves of the book. Such detachod strips may be of steel, brass, or other metal, leather, or other suitable material.

As an as istant in the school, in the study of languages, and in the pulpit, the invention will be found particularly valuable.

In the application of the invention to dietionaries the initial letters form the headings, and are placed like the names of the books in the illustrated application of the invention, while the second, or, it desired, second and third letters of the words on thepage or pages are applied or placed similarly to the numbers of the chapters of the books, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;.

From the foregoing the application of the improved index to any book capable of the division into headings and subdivisions under such headings will be readily understood.

'While the index shown as out in the sides of the book, it is nntnifest it may be out in the [cot thereof, or in both, it so desired.

Having thus described my in ventioi'l, what I claim as new is 1. A book having its index formed in sec tions on opposite sides oi. a central or intermediate starting-point, and having the leaves of each said sections cut away from said starting-point to expose in the direction thereof portions of the leaves corresponding to each desired division and subdivision of the subject-matter of the book, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. A book having an index formed in sections on opposite sides of a central. or intermediate starting-point, and provided with a nick or nicks cut in the edges of the leaves and terminating at one of the leaves which mark the intermediate siarting-point, substantially as set forth.

3. A book having an index arranged in sections on opposite sides of an intermediate starting-point, each section being formed of a number of series facing toward the intermediate starting-point, and each of said series having a heading and subdivisions thereun d or corresponding to the desired divisions and subdivisions of the subject -matter of the book, all si'ibstantially as and for the purposes specified.

a. A book having its index formed in sec tions on opposite sides of a central or in termediate starting-point, the ends of both sec tions of the index adjacent said starting-point being arranged at the same end of the leaves of the book, whereby the edge of the book is formed with a channel gradually widening toward one end, substantially as set forth.

5. A book having its index formed on opposite sides of a central or intermediate starting-point and having the leaves of each said sections cut away from said stz'irtingpoint to expose in the direction thereof portions of the leaves eorrespondin g to each desired division and subdivision of the snbject-matter, the ends of both said sections adjacent the start ing-point being arranged at the same end of the leaves of the hook, whereby the edge oi the book is fOl'i'IlGd withv a channel gradually widening toward one end, and a nick or nicks, 1), being provided in the edges of the leaves and arranged to terminate at one of the leaves which mark the interinediz'ite startingpoint, all substz'intially as and for the purposes speci lied.

JOHN PAUL lilN'Dlil li".

\Vitnesses:

.i'. 'l. L. Mann, '1). 1 Homes. 

